Progressive rock and metal all-stars Steven Wilson and Mikael Åkerfeldt are teaming up. What does this mean for the layman, you ask? The respective frontmen of Porcupine Tree and Opeth have been collaborating for a while on their records, with Wilson beginning his tenure with Åkerfeldt by helping produce and provide background instrumentation and vocals for Blackwater Park in 2001, and Åkerfeldt in turn helped Porcupine Tree out with vocals and guitar on the 2005 record Deadwing.The two artists had decided upon this collaboration last year, March 2010. However, they have stated explicitly that they do not want this just to be a prog-metal supergroup, because it "would have been so easy to do - and kind of expected, in a way" (discussed in Gunshy Assassin interview here). No, what this project will ultimately become is a complete and thorough experimentation of what progressive rock is, can be, and may become, told through the minds of two brilliant and innovative men. According to Wilson, it's a congruous feeling between Åkerfeldt and him that this record will take a different direction than would be expected by fans, for the sake of real music-making, but I'm sure anyone who really listens and cares about the releases by either would have a conscious sort of understanding of that feeling. Either way, it'll be exciting to see what happens on the record, and what Åkerfeldt and Wilson will have planned for the future, if anything.
The record comes out April 2012.
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